Public water system · AL0000311
ActiveCherokee Water & Gas Department
At a glance
Cherokee Water & Gas Department (PWSID AL0000311) is an active community water system in Colbert County, Alabama. It reports serving 1,992 people through 664 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2021.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,992
Service connections
664
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Cherokee Water & Gas Department compare with other water systems in Colbert County?
By EPA's size categories, Cherokee Water & Gas Department is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Colbert County has 13 active public water systems. Its population served is well below the county average of 6,480 people per system, and accounts for 2.4% of the 84,238 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Alabama, the 576 active systems average 11,028 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Cherokee Water & Gas Department is well below that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Alabama has 505 active community water systems, 88% of the state's 576 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 78 Alabama systems (14%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Cherokee Water & Gas Department?
EPA lists Cherokee Water & Gas Department as owned by a local government. The AL state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 10 of the 13 active systems in Colbert County (77%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Cherokee Water & Gas Department have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2021. The violations listed here began between September 1985 and October 2021. By type: 6 monitoring and reporting, 5 contaminant level above the legal limit and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Ethylene dibromide (EDB) (3 of them). EPA lists 9 as resolved and 3 as archived. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2019-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-10-11 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-10-11 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2009-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1993-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Ethylene dibromide (EDB)code 2946 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1993-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Ethylene dibromide (EDB)code 2946 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1993-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Ethylene dibromide (EDB)code 2946 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1992-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Major (TCR) · code 23 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1985-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Cadmiumcode 1015 | No | Archived |
| 1985-09-30 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Mercurycode 1035 | No | Archived |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Cherokee Water & Gas Department: frequently asked questions
Who runs Cherokee Water & Gas Department?
Cherokee Water & Gas Department (PWSID AL0000311) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the AL state drinking water program.
How many people does Cherokee Water & Gas Department serve?
Cherokee Water & Gas Department reports serving 1,992 people through 664 service connections in Colbert County, Alabama.
Where does Cherokee Water & Gas Department get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does Cherokee Water & Gas Department have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2021. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Cherokee Water & Gas Department's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2021. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the AL state drinking water program.
Where can I find Cherokee Water & Gas Department's water quality report?
As a community water system, Cherokee Water & Gas Department must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Colbert County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle Shoals Utility Board | Colbert | 22,467 | Community | Surface water |
| Tuscumbia Water Works | Colbert | 14,400 | Community | Surface water |
| Sheffield Utilities, City of Sheffield | Colbert | 13,758 | Community | Surface water |
| Colbert County Rural Water System | Colbert | 13,395 | Community | Surface water |
| Spring Valley Water Authority | Colbert | 5,520 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Hawk Pride Mt Water System | Colbert | 4,035 | Community | Groundwater under influence of surface water |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Cherokee Water & Gas Department, PWSID AL0000311, Alabama”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/alabama/cherokee-water-gas-department-al0000311 (data as of October 1, 2026).